Machine for stringing tags.



No. 736,406. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1.903.

J. G. KIMSEY.

MACHINE FOR'STRINGING TAGS.

i APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1901. N0 MODEL 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

3] n vendor,

witnesses w Z In: News PETERS co, PuaTo-umo. wAsmNcroN. u. c.

PATENTED AUG. 18. 1903.

3. G. KIMSEY. MACHINE FOR'STRINGING TAGS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1901.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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No. 736,406. PATENTED AUG. is, 1903.

J-. 0. KI-MSBY.

MACHINE FOR STRl-NGING TAGS.

APPLICATION I ILED DBO.11, 1901.

H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

vflueawa fw- THE mums PEYERS co, mom-urns WASHINGTON, u. L.

filed December 4, 1901, Serial No.

No. 73e,4o6.

I UNITED STATES PatentedAugust 18, 1903.

PATENT UFFICE.

JAMES C. KIMSEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TAGS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Iletters ltatent No. 736,406, dated August18, 1903. Application filed December 11, 1901. Serial No. 85,513. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES C. KIMSE Y, acitizen of the United States, anda'residentof Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, haveiuvented a Machine for Stringing Tags,'&c., of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to machines for attaching strings to tags, and ismore especially an improvement upon the machine shown and described inmy prior application for patent, 84,635, the object of the presentinvention being to provide special mechanism for feeding the tags in acontinuous strip to the stapling-machine and for severing a tag from thestrip simultaneously with the attachment of the tag to the string orcord, also to provide improved means for drawing the tags from thestaplingmachine through the intervention of the continuous string orcord, for cutting said cord,

. and for depositing the finished tags in a box of the for the othermechanisms hereinafter deor jogger.

Having the aboveobjects in view, the present invention consists in theparticular con struction and combination of parts, all as will behereinafter fully described, and more specifically set forth in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and in which like letters of reference indicate like parts in theseveral views, Figure l is a front elevation of a machine for stringingtags, 850. constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View on the line 4: 4of Fig. 2. spective view of the cutting-roll for notching the tag strip.Fig. 6 is a detail view of the tag-strip. Fig. 7 is a detail sectionalview of the pivoted cutting-blade which cuts the tags. Fig. 8 is adetail plan view of the stationary die of the stapling-machine.

Referring to said drawings, A designates the power press of the staplingmachine, which is bolted to one side of a-long table B, supported at itsends by the legs I), the top of said table forming the bolster orbed-plate stapling-machine and also the support Fig. 5 is a detail perW. scribed. Said power-press comprises a ver' tion that the stationarydie or block a is cut away its entire Width, as shown, so that the tagmay pass through the stapling-machine from one side to the other insteadof being. passed under the block from the front thereof, as in theaforesaid application. This provision is made in order that a continuoustag-strip may be fed to the machine, as hereinafter particularlydescribed.

Alongside the power-press is a reel 0, loosely journaled on its bearingand carrying a metal strip 0, from which thestaples are formed, the saidmetalstrip passing between the feeding rolls 0 c, suitably supported anddriven by a belt which extends from a pulley on the shaft of thepower-press. A spool D is mountedin bearings below the top of the table,and a cord dfrom said spoolis guided to and through the block orstationary die a above the tag and in line to be engaged by the stapleas it is attached to and clenched upon said tag, the said cord passingto the particular feeding and cutting mechanism therefor, hereinafterdescribed. It will be noted that the aforesaid application for patentalso includes the metal strip and string or cord by which the staple ismade and the cord applied to the tag.

One of the features of my present invention is to provide for feeding acontinuous strip to the stapling-machine and cut a tag from the stripsimultaneously with the operation ofapplying the string andholding-staple,and to this end a continuous strip of paper or cardboardreinforced at one end is fed to the machine and first notched to givethe usual shape to the end of the tag and then cut from the strip by avibrating knife operated by the plunger which carries the staple formingand clenching dies. For this purpose a cutting-roll E is mounted on ashaft 6, driven by a belt from a pulley on the driving-shaft ofaforementioned application, with'the excepthe power-press, the saidcutting-roll having on its periphery several sets of blades 6, each setcomprising two blades disposed at an angle to each other, so as went aV-shaped notchfin the paper strip F. Alongside of the cutting-roll E isa feeding-roll g, fast to the shaft 6, which, in conjunction with anidle-roll g, located within the table-top,serves to feed the strip ofpaper or cardboard to the staplingmachine. The cutting knives or blades6' out against a flat bed or pad e of hard rubber or cardboard. Thestrip F is reinforced by being doubled upon itself, so that the staplemay have a better hold on the tag, said doubling of the strip beingpreviously accomplished in any suitable manner.

Adjoining the stationary die of the staplingmachine is a pivotedcutting-blade H,which is adapted to cut the tags from the strip, thesaid blade having a spring h for returning it to its normal position andis carried by a bracket h, slidable in a dovetailed recess in the top ofthe table, so that the said cutting device may be adjusted to cut tagsof different widths. The stationary blade H of this cutting device isalso carried by the bracket, and its upper edge is flush with the top ofthe table, so that the tag-stri p will pass freely over the same. Thepivoted blade is provided with ears k W, by which same is attached tothe bracket. The speed of the feeding and cutting rolls is such withrespect to the location of the knife-blade that the tags will be cut acertain width, and when the cutting device is adjusted the speed of thecutting-roll should be regulated accordingly. It is purposed to changethe speed of the cutting-roll either by means of a graduated pulley orby substituting pulleys of different sizes. The V- shaped notch which iscut by the roll E not only gives the usual shape to the end of the tag,but said notch extends a suificient distance beyond the metal strip sothat the latter will not interfere with the operation of thecutting-blade H. Said cutting-blade is provided with an extension hwhich is struck by an arm b attached to and projecting laterally fromthe plunger A of the power-press of the stapling-machine. This arm isadj usted on the plunger so that the knife-blade will sever a tagsimultaneously with the clenching of a staple on the tag. Each tag as itis completed and strung is drawn from the stapling-machine by thecontinuous cord through the intervention of the cord-feeding device,which I shall now proceed to describe.

The tags pass from the stapling-machine along the top of the table to apair of endless feeding-belts I and I, by which they are carried to abox or jogger M, while the cord or string passes between a pair offriction-rolls Z Z, the said friction-rolls serving to feed the cord orstring through the stapling-machine and remove the finished tag which isattached to said cord'or string. The speed of the friction-rolls is suchthat upon each full stroke of the plunger A a certain length of cordwill be pulled through the stapling-machine before the next staple isapplied, and in this way the tags are strung upon the cord or string atregular intervals, the cord being cut as it passes from thefriction-rolls by means of the cord cutting device, hereinafterdescribed. The tags pass between the pair of endless feeding-belts I and1 and may be deposited therefrom directly into the box M or may bedeposited into an ordinary jogger for stacking the tags. The upper partof the belt I is flush with the top of the table, and the rollers t t,over which this belt passes, are loosely'journaled, the said lower beltbeing drivenby the upper belt I, while the latter is driven by apower-belt n, extending from a pulley on the shaft of the powerpress.The roller i, over which the endless belt or apro'n'I passes, isprovided with a shaft '6 to receive the pulley 11 over which the belt npasses, and to this pulley are attached tappets 0, which operate apivoted knife-blade adapted to cut the string or cord into properlengths.

The cord-cutting device consists of a frame F, let into the top of thetable and secured thereto, a stationary blade 19, secured to said frame,and a pivoted blade 19, also carried by the frame, said pivoted bladehaving a rearward extension or arm 19 which is struck by the tappet. Thepivoted cutting-blade is returned to its normal position by means of aspring 19 It will be noted, therefore, that the driven shaft 1' not onlyserves to turn the endless feeding belts or aprons I and I, but alsoserves to operate the knife which cuts the string.

The devices herein shown and described for feeding a continuoustag-strip to the staplingmachine and for feeding the string to saidmachine and removing the tags therefrom provide a complete tag-stringingmachine which is simple in construction, regular and positive in itsoperation,and automatic. The machine can be run at a rapid rate ofspeed, and the strings will be securely and firmly attached to the tags.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,the operation of the improved devices which form thesubject-matter of this application will be readily apparent, for thepaper strip F, passing betweenthe feed-rolls g and g, is notched at itsreinforced end by means of the cutting-roll E and passes over the top ofthe table into position under the stationary die of thestapling-machine, so that it may receive the staple by which the 'cordisattached thereto.' The cord from the spool also passes under thestationary die, above and across the paper strip, and over the top ofthe table to the friction-rolls Z and Z,by which said cord is pulledthrough the machine, while the metal strip 0 is fed into the stationarydie, so that the staples can be stamped therefrom as the plungerdescends. Upon each downward stroke of the plunger a staple is forcedinto the tag and clenched, while the points are formed for anotherstaple, and to this end the staple-forming die, in conjunction with thedie-plate a cuts a staple from the metal strip and applies it to thetag. Simultaneously with the operation of clenching a staple thecutting-blade H cuts a tag from the tag-strip, and when said tag isreleased the cord pulls it from the stapling-machine, while thetag-strip is fed, forward to place another tag in the stapling-machine.The friction-rolls Z and Z feed the cord continuously, and as theoperationof the plunger is very rapid the resiliency of the cord willtake up the stop-motion or the cord may slip between the rolls. The tagspass from the stapling-machine to the endless belts or aprons I and Iandare carried thereby to the box or jogger, while the cord after passingbetween the friction-rolls is cut by the pivoted knife-blade operated bythe tappetwheel. It will be observed, therefore, that .theseveraldevices operate successively to feed the tag-strip to thestapling-machine, attach the cord to a tag and remove said tag from thestrip,draw the tag from the staplingmachine through the intervention ofthe continuous cord or string, cut the cord between thestrung tags, sothat the tags will have strings of uniform length, and finally depositthe completed tags into a box or jogger.

In order to guide the scrap metal of the strip 0 from the machine, acurved plate or trough S is attached to the stationarydie aTheadvantages of attaching strings to tags I by means of staples will bereadily appreciated, as it not only permits the operation of stringingtags to be accomplished by machinery,but also attaches the string moresecurely, especially if a wide staple is used and the points properlyclenched on the under side. J

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a tag-stringing machine, thecombination,of a stapling-machine for attaching a staple and string tothe tag, means for feeding a tag-strip to said stapling-machine,frictionrolls for drawing the string through the machine, a device forcutting the string after it passes through the friction-rolls, and meansfor separating the tags from the tag-strip,

l substantially as shown and described.

2. In atag-stringing machine, the combination, ofastapling-machinefor-attachingastaple and string to the tag, means for feeding atag-strip to said stapling-machine, and means for separating the tagsfrom the strip; together with means for feeding a continuous stringacross the tag, friction-rolls between which the string passes from thestapling-machine, a pivoted knife for cutting the string,

and means for operating said knife, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a tagstringing machine, the combination, of astapling-machine forattachinga staple and string to the tag, means for feeding a tag-stripto said stapling-machine, and

means for separating the tags fromthe strip;

together with means for feeding a continuous string across the tag,friction-rolls through which the string passes, a pivoted knife beyondthe friction-rolls, and a tappet-wheel having tappets adapted to operatethe knife, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a tag-stringing machine, the combination, ofa stapling-machine forattachinga staple and string to the tag, means for feeding a tag-stripthereto, and means for separating the tags from the strip; together withmeans for feeding a continuous string or cord, friction-rolls betweenwhich the string or cord passes, means for cutting the string or cord,-

and endless belts or aprons between which the tags pass to a receptacleor jogger, substantially as shown and described. 5. In a tag-machine,the combination, ofa stapling-machine for attaching a staple and stringto the tag, means for feeding a tagstrip thereto, means for feeding acontinuous cord or string through the stapling-machine, friction-rollsfor drawing the cord through the stapling-machine, endless belts oraprons receiving and carrying the tags to a stacker, and means forcutting the cord or string as it passes from the friction-rolls togetherwith means for separating the tags from the tagstrip simultaneously withthe attachment of a staple to the tag, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES C. KIMSEY. Witnesses:

THos. SHALLGROSS, J r., H. MAOKEY.

